Partitions and the like having no sound bridges



Ma h 25. 1969 LE NT 3,434,258

PARTITIONS AND THE LIKE HAVING NO SOUND BRIDGES 'Fileddcvze. 1966 Sheet 014 INVENTOR. Y G. L c u re n t B GLMM gw 'ATTORNESIS 3,434,25 PARTITIONS AND THE LIKE mwmc- NO souun BRIDGES Filed on. 26. 1966 March 25, 1969 c. LEURENT INVENTOR. Laurent Arromku 5.55

March 25. 1969 G. LEURENT 5 3 3 PAR'IITIONS AND THE LIKE HAVING NO SOUND BRIDGES Filed Oct. 26. 1966 Sheet 3 of 4 INVENTOR. G. L e u rent BYGLLMLF .ATTOJ'L ESS United States Patent() 4 Int. Cl. E04b 1/623' E041 /14, 15/22 US. Cl. 52-397 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A partition or similar structure without sound bridge including a plurality of interconnected uprights and crosspieces forming a resistant structure and delimiting a plurality of openings, a plurality of panels applied against said structure via sound insulating strips and covering said openings, a plurality of clipping elements fastened on said structure, said clipping elements having a hooking part on either side and being made of a sound insulating material, and a plurality of butt-covers having each two hooking ribs, said butt-covers being fixed on said clipping elements in such a manner that their hooking ribs cooperate with said hooking parts of said clipping elements and that they make contact with said panels via other sound insulating strips said panels being thus fastened on said structure, said hooking ribs having such a length that they do not make contact with said structure 'when the butt-covers are fixed on said clipping elements.

The present invention concerns the technology of all kinds of partitions and similar constructions belonging to the type consisting in principle of a resistance framework formed by uprights and cross-pieces onto which are fastened the fixed and mobile filling elements, such construc tions being hereafter referred to as partitions in general.

This type of structure, which is quite traditional, has been used in different forms of which each one is characterized either by special sections, or by particular fastening means, or by special arrangements in order either to reduce the cost price, or to speed up and render more easy assembly work, or for any other reason.

The object of the present invention is to provide such partitions or similar constructions, of the type consisting of the combination of a resistant structure made of uprights and cross-pieces, of panels applied against said resistant structure and of butt-covers for fastening said panels onto said structure, in which the uprights and the cross-pieces consist of box-like sections provided with continous front faces and rear faces onto which are fastened in line small elements made, at least in part, of a material which has good sound insulating properties, and helping for fixing and supporting th panels by the butt-covers.

The sections intended for forming the uprights and cross-pieces may consist of simple tubular elements either open or closed, of which the four faces are disposed along mutually orthogonal planes, without any protruding part.

In a particular form of embodiment of the present invention, these sections may have the shape of a tubular element of square cross-section of which two parallel faces are open along their middle part while the two other parallel faces are united by at least one rigid web, whereby two .such parallel webs generally are dividing lengthwise said tubular sections into three adjacent compartments in such a way that the median compartment is entirely closed and that the two side compartments are open.

The insulating elements, of small size, generally are of two clearly distinct types: the function of the first is to "ice make possible the clipping of the butt-strips, While the second fulfills the function of small brackets for supporting panels and glass panes.

In a characteristic form of embodiment, these two functionally very different elements can be made integral.

The uprights and cross-pieces are generally prepared in the workshop by fastening thereto, in the correct position and alignment, said clipping and supporting elements.

After having been conveyed to the building site, the uprights and cross-pieces are assembled so as to form the framework of the partition or similar structure; the panels are supported by individual underlying bracket andthe construction is finished by fastening the butt-strips in the usual way.

By means of this arrangement, each constituent element of the partition or similar structure is specifically designed for its proper function, and hence is also made of an adequate material.

All of these features and characteristics will be more clearly understood by the description given below, without implying any exclusive meaning, with reference to the appended drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates as a perspective view, part of a simple section which can be used either as upright or as cross-piece of a partition or similar structure;

FIGURE 2 illustrates in a perspective view part of an upright designed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 3 illustrates in a perspective view of part of a cross-piece designed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 shows, on a larger scale, an insulating clipping element such as indicated by the arrows F4 in FIG- URES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 represents, on an enlarged scale, a crosssection by a plane of which the trace follows straight line V-V of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are cross-sections according to planes of which the traces follow respectively the straight lines VIVI and VIIVII of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a removable base for clipping devices and brackets;

FIGURE 9 shows on an enlarged scale a cross-section by a plane of which the trace follows the straight line IXIX of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 represents a perspective: view of a bracket according to the present invention;

FIGURES 11 and 12 are cross-sections on an enlarged scale, respectively by planes of which the traces follow the straight lines XI-XI and XII-XII of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 13 shows diagrammatically part of a framework according to the present invention;

FIGURE 14 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale, by a plane of which the trace follows the straight line XIV- XIV of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is a variant of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 represents a cross-section on an enlarged scale, by a plane of which the trace follows the straight line XVI-XVI of FIG. 13 but in a different form of embodiment with respect to FIGURES 14 and 15;

FIGURES 17 and 18 are cross-sections on an enlarged scale, by planes of which the traces follow the straight lines XVII-XVII and XVIII-XVIII respectively of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 19 represents, as a perspective view, part of an upright onto which is fastened a bracket forming a variant of FIGURES 10, 11 and 12;

FIGURE 20 shows, as a perspective view, a small bracket of the type applied in the form of embodiment of FIGURE 19.

The section 1 according to the present invention is essentially characterized by a prismatic core 2 of square or rectangular cross-section, of which the four apices are provided with fittings, 3-4-5-6 respectively, of rightangular shape such that one of the wings 7-8 respectively of the angle-pieces 3-4 lies in the plane of face '9 of said core, while one of the wings 10-11 respectively of the angle-pieces 5-6 is situated in the plane of the opposite face 12 of said core; the wings 13-14 respectively of said angle-pieces 3-6 are also in one and the same plane and separated from each other so as to form an inlet 15, while the wings 16-17 of the other fittings 4-5 are also situated in one and the same plane, at a distance from each other, and form the boundaries of an inlet 18 identical and symmetrical with respect to said inlet 15.

In this section, the continuous faces 9-12 are intended to form the front and back faces of the framework. These faces may have, in their median longitudinal planes, holes 19 which may be tapped, whose diameters will be determined by the characteristics of the fastening elements provided for uniting to said section the additional clipping and supporting elements forming the essential characteristic features of the present invention. The clipping elements, such as indicated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 13 are fastened in line and at a convenient distance on the uprights 20 (FIGURES 2 and 13) and on the cross-pieces 21 (FIG- URES 3 and 13).

As illustrated by FIGURES 4 to 7, an insulating clipping element 22 according to the present invention may simply consist of a small prismatic block 23 of insulating material of which the two lower longitudinal edges are provided with a shoulder 24-25 respectively. In the present instance, this prismatic block has three hollows, 26-27-28, of which the bottom extends into two coaxial holes of different diameters 29-30, 31-32, 33-34 respectively. This arrangement makes it possible to fasten the clipping elements 22 by means of one, two or three screws. The bottom of the prismatic elements 23 has, in the present instance, two blind holes 35-36 provided for fastening, if need be, of a removable base. Such a base 37 is, by way of example, illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. It consists of a little plate 38, in the present instance of rectangular shape, of which the width L is larger than the width L1 of the prismatic element to which it must be connected. This little plate is provided with three holes 39-40-41 corresponding to the holes -32-34 respectively of the base of the prismatic element 23, and with two projections, 42-43, corresponding to the blind holes -36 of the prismatic elements 23. The height H of the projections 42-43 is slightly less than the depth P of said blind holes.

The clipping elements 22 can thus be used either With or without the base 37.

Concerning the brackets 44, these may consist of simple lengths of angle-pieces made of some insulating material and fastened onto the cross-pieces by any appropriate means, so as to for-m a Support for the overlying panel or glass pane.

According to another characteristic feature of the present invention, these brackets may however preferably be made as illustrated in FIGURES 10, 11 and 12. In this form of embodiment, the free edge of the horizontal branch, of length L2 is provided with a rib 45. The other branch is provided with holes 46 of which the relative position and dimensions correspond respectively to the holes 30-32-34, and to the projections 47 corresponding, both with respect to their relative position and dimensions, to the blind holes 35-36 of the clipping element 22. This arrangement makes it possible to connect favourably a bracket 44' with such a clipping element 22.

The uprights and cross-pieces, 20-21 respectively, as Well as the clipping elements 22 and brackets 44 are applied in co-operation with butt-strips 48 of some well known type which may differ according to circumstances. In the present instance, this butt-strip mainly consists of an actual joint-cover 49 and of two parallel ribs 50-51 shaped so as to for-m a fastening clip.

An application is represented in its essential elements in FIGURES 13, 14, 17 and 18. In fact, in this form of embodiment, the resistance structure has been brought about by assembling uprights 20 and cross-pieces 21. In the present instance, the uprights 20 are Provided on their front and rear faces, with clipping elements 22, while the cross-pieces 21 are provided, both on their front and on their rear face, with clipping elements 22 and brackets 44.

The panels 52 are applied against said front and rear faces of the uprights and cross-pieces by resting on the underlying brackets 44, i.e., on the brackets which are fastened to the cross-piece against which the lowest edge of the panel is applied. Butt-strips 48 are hooked by pressure to the clipping elements 22.

By way of complementary condition for easily building the constructions without sound bridge, it should be observed that the width L of the base 37 of the clipping elements 22 must be larger than the distance L3 separating the outer faces of the hooking ribs 50-51 of the buttstrips 48. Moreover, this width L is smaller than the distance L4 separating the edges of the two adjacent panels 52. As these latter are in contact respectively with the sections 1 and the butt-strips 48 by means of strips 53 of insulating material, it should be noted that there is, in neither part of the construction, any continuity between the superposed metal elements, which means that the entire structure is devoid of any sound bridge.

It should also be noticed that, in this manner of embodiment, the butt-strips 48 comprise, with respect to the elements 22, three levels of support represented respectively in 54-55-56.

In the example of FIGURE 14, the openings 15-18 of the sections 1 are obstructed by elastic strips 57. It is also possible, as illustrated in FIGURE 15, to replace these obstruction strips 57 by butt-strips 48 co-operating with clipping blocks 22 but without the base 37.

The elements described above lend themselves to set-up all kinds of partition installations arranged in one and the same plane or in different planes. In fact, for the constructions in one and the same plane, it will be possible to build resistance structures practically by means of an indeterminate number of uprights and cross-pieces of which the distances apart are determined by the dimensions of the panels or glass panes to be used.

The design and the number of brackets 44 fastened onto the underlying cross-pieces at each panel or glass pane shall also be determined in function of the load imposed by said panels or glass panes. It will be possible to apply onto said underlying cross-pieces, either hooking elements of individual brackets, or combined elements as described above.

It is obvious, that it is quite as easy to form treble partitions, in which case, as illustrated in FIGURE 16, it will be enough to replace the inner butt-strips 57 provided in the example of FIGURE 14, by a key-fitting 58 which will allow an easy fixation of an intermediate panel or glass pane 59.

In some applications, and more particularly when the glass panels are fairly heavy, in addition to or in replacement of fixed brackets fastened onto the cross-pieces, it will be possible to make use of brackets resting onto the marginal outer uprights.

A structure of this kind is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURES 19 and 20. In this type of embodiment, bracket 60 may consist of a small L-shaped part comprising two branches 61-62, whereby the latter has a hook-shaped extension 63. This bracket 60 may, for instance, be made of a well resisting material, such as metal, of which the part in contact with the glass panel, i.e., at least the top face of the branch 62 shall preferably be lined with insulating material, or with an elastic material.

In one form of embodiment, this bracket 60 can also be made of a compound of metal and plastic material. For fastening such a bracket, it is enough to provide in the uprights, at an appropriate level, a hole 64 into which the hook-shaped extension 63 is introduced, whereby said bracket rests on the front face of the upright 20* by the inner edge of branch 61. In this position, the second branch 62 sets itself automatically into the horizontal position.

It is equally possible to make use of simple brackets o: of any similar support fastened into a suitable position on the uprights by any appropriate means, known as such, such as by screwing, riveting, gluing or others.

It is evidently possible to combine the various means disclosed herein, for building all kinds of partitions or similar structures arranged in one or several planes.

The present invention concerns the characteristic elements described above and considered as a novel industrial product, as well as any assemblies, partitions, or other metal constructions by which they are applied.

What I claim is:

1. Partition or similar structure without sound bridge including a plurality of interconnected uprights and crosspieces forming a resistant structure and delimiting a plurality of openings, a plurality of panels applied against said structure via sound insulating strips and covering said openings, a plurality of clipping elements fastened on said structure, said clipping elements having a hooking part on either side and being made of a sound insulating material, and a plurality of butt-covers having each two hooking ribs, said butt-covers being fixed on said clipping elements so that their hooking ribs cooperate with said hooking parts of said clipping elements and make contact with said panels via other sound insulating strips, said panels being thus fastened on said structure, said hooking ribs having such a length that they do not make contact 'with said structure when the butt-covers are fixed on said clipping elements.

2. A partition wall as described in claim 1, wherein each of said clipping elements comprises a removable base and a prismatic body with said hooking parts and with at least one opening for the passage of a fastening element for fastening the clipping element on said structure.

3. A partition Wall as described in claim 2, wherein the width of said base is greater than the distance between the two outer faces of said hooking ribs and smaller than the space between adjacent panels, whereby the latter may have at least two contact levels with said clipping elements.

4. A partition as described in claim 3, wherein at least parts of said body are substantially as high as said hooking ribs, whereby the latter can have at least three contact levels with said clipping elements.

5. A partition as described in claim 4, wherein said prismatic body has at least one blind hole and wherein said base consists of a rectangular plate with at least one hole corresponding to said hole of said prismatic body and with at least one protuberance corresponding to said blind hole, in such a manner that said prismatic body and said base may be fastened together by mere pressures.

6. A partition as described in claim 1 which further includes brackets adapted to be fastened on said crosspieces and made of a sound insulating material, said brackets being used to support said panels.

7. A partition as described in claim 6, wherein each of said clipping elements includes a prismatic body with said hooking parts, with at least one opening for the passage of a fastening element for fastening the clipping element on said structure and with at least one blind hole, and wherein said bracket is L-shaped and has two branches, one of said branches being bordered by a rib and the other of said branches having at least one hole corresponding to said hole of said prismatic body and at least one protuberance corresponding to said blind hole, so that said prismatic body and said bracket may be fastened together 'by mere pressure.

8. A partition as described in claim 7, wherein said brackets are L-shaped and have two branches, one of which is claw-shaped adapted to be engaged in an opening of a said upright.

9. A partition as described in claim 1, wherein the panels are applied against both parallel faces of said sections, so that the side openings of said panels are situated in the wall thickness of said partition and are designed for accommodating either a closing strip or a fixing element.

10. A partition as described in claim 9, wherein the clipping elements of the butt-strips are made of small masses of a material having low sound conductivity, and having a hook shape on either side capable of cooperating with the hooking ribs of the butt-strips,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,049 4/1962 Somville 52498 3,081,849 3/1963 Hubbard 52-498 3,340,663 9/ 1967 Collard 52498 FOREIGN PATENTS 816,104 7/ 1959 Great Britain. 949,997 2/ 1964 Great Britain.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

